It's Not Easy Being Human
by paintupurple
Summary: After two years away from the Legion, Brainy returns to find a new hero onboard. However, he will soon discover that being human is not easy, even with a twelfth level intellect! SupermanxBrainiac5xInvisibleKid
1. The Homecoming

Okay, so here's my very first multi-chapter story! Woo! I actually had the idea a few months ago, but after seeing that one of my favorite writers on FF has a SupermanxBrainyxLyle story already, I got slightly discouraged from writing it, haha. However, the idea is quite different, so here it is!

Please note: The story is set as a sort of cross-over between the cartoon Legion and reboot Legion comic (the one written by Abnett and Lanning, aka DnA). So it will have characters and references to situations in both the cartoon and comic. I know most people have only seen the show and maybe read a little bit of the _The Legion_, so I'll explain all of my comic references before each chapter, if I use any at all. The story takes place two years after the end of the second season of the show, so Brainy is now fully organic, in other words, no longer a robot.

This chapter has Kid Quantum (the female version, Jazmin Cullen) from the comic, but I explain her powers and appearance in here anyway, and you don't really need to know anything about her.

Since this is the reboot version cross-over-type-alternate-universe-thing, Lyle is a former professional spy-turned-chemist, _not _the son of a Science Police officer like in the threeboot comic. His relationship with Brainy will at first be more rival-like than friendship, since that's how it is in the _The Legion_ comic.

Obviously, since Brainy from the show and Brainy from the comic act differently, it will be a challenge keeping him in character... but I love challenges, so it's all good! I'll write Brainy as mostly what he is like in the show, to keep the confusion at bay.

I must warn you, this story will move rather slowly; Brainy naturally overthinks everything, and despite exploring his emotions and learning to control them for two years, he's still pretty new to the whole human experience thing, so he won't understand a lot of what he's feeling for quite a while. Plus, as with real relationships, he and Lyle (and Superman, for that matter) can't hook up and fall in love over the course of three chapters. The relationship has to develop, you know? And I have _two_relationships to develop here, so it'll take a while. On the plus side, you'll get a glimpse into the migraine-inducing complexity that is Brainy's head!

Now enough of me ranting; on to chapter one!

**disclaimer**: I am a high school student and therefore clearly do not have the money to own _Legion of Superheroes_; the cartoon and comics belong to DC and I am unworthy. *bows in respect to DnA*

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Gravel crunches under my feet as I make my way slowly up the side of the road. Most people who pass me do not make any sign indicating that they recognize me, though I am not surprised; I sometimes find myself staring at the stranger in the mirror, his robot counterparts gone, his eyes no longer two magenta computer screens... even now, it surprises me when I can't scan the counterparts of a machine or transform my index finger into a screw driver.

I twist the golden Legion flight ring around and around my right middle finger, a human habit I've developed. I wonder how they've all changed in two years; certainly, they could not have changed as much as_ I _have. Aside from growing an astounding two and a half inches (I have long ago accepted that I will most likely remain short for the remainder of my life), my slightly longer hair has been parted down the middle, the bangs ending just below my eyebrows, and I suppose I have gained more muscle than I had before, though not tremendously so. The three light gray circles on my forehead, along with my ever-consistent avocado skin, are the only things that hint at my past. A lot can change in two years...

I find my thoughts drifting again to my teammates. Is Saturn Girl still the caring, mature, mother figure she was when I left? Is Lightning Lad still the same pig-headed, stubborn idiot who loves his friends and the Legion more than anything? Does Bouncing Boy still pilot the Legion ship and remain good-humored and optimistic in the bleakest of situations? Does Timber Wolf still hide behind a tough, ferocious mask that cannot fool his friends (for we all knew Brin was, in actuality, a truly kind soul)? Triplicate Girl, Phantom Girl, Cosmic Boy, Chameleon, Dream Girl, Star Boy, Shrinking Violet, Matter-Eater Lad... how has time changed them?

I shift my bag onto my other shoulder, suddenly anxious and somewhat hesitent about returning to my old home. What if everything is so drastically different that I no longer feel at home here? What if the years have molded the Legion into something unrecognizable; or worse, what if they no longer need me? Are my skills and unparalleled knowledge now useless to the team? I have been training physically and making improvements to my belt, but will it be enough to prove my worth to them? Intelligence, technically, is not a super power.

I cut my thoughts short, wishing to be rid of such burdensome emotions. I _am _still Brainiac 5, the most intelligent being alive in the universe; of course they'll take me back!

My mind, so ridden with human thoughts and feelings, wanders back to the Legionnaires- my friends, every single one of them- as I squint up at the sun. Unwillingly, I remember the most influential member of the Legion of Superheroes, the one who started it all, who was the inspiration for the team itself.

After several seconds, I must look away from the sun, and a black dot mars my vision. My eyes can no longer adjust automatically to any amount of light, which is rather annoying, but I have gotten used to that.

I wonder how the Man of Steel is, if he is here at all (which I somehow highly doubt). I know it is pointless to think such things; I know _exactly_ how he is. He is in the past, where he belongs, helping to shape the world into what it is today. I remember those smiling blue eyes for a moment before shaking my head and focusing on the present.

Before I know it, I am standing before Legion Headquarters. The sleek, metallic building reflects the sun brilliantly as it towers above me, exactly the way it was when I left it. That gives me some small quotia of comfort, and it is easier to brush away any traces of nerves and make my way towards the front entrance.

The interior, just like the exterior, is unchanged, if a bit lacking in activity. My footsteps are unecessarily loud as I walk, curious as to the whereabouts of the Legionnaires. The halls, completely devoid of people, echo my footsteps back at me as if in greeting. Suspicion creeps over me as I walk, theories bouncing around in my head like Bouncing Boy himself. The doors to the main room shift open automatically and I enter into darkness.

I am less than surprised when I am greeted with a chorus of, "Welcome back, Brainy!!" when the lights are switched on.

I blink and my eyes slowly adjust to the light before I am able to take everything in, though I already know what is going on (honestly, it is so very predictable). It seems every single member of the Legion is there, from Karate Kid to the Substitute Superheroes, smiling at me among green and purple balloons and streamers hanging from the high ceiling. A huge banner hangs above their heads, emblazed with the words, "WELCOME BACK, BRAINIAC 5". Despite the absurdity of it all, I find myself smiling back, a pleasant warmth seeping into my chest.

Immediately, I am tackled by Phantom Girl, Shrinking Violet, and all three Triplicate Girls, while Saturn Girl, bless her, restrains herself to smiling widely behind them.

"Brainy! Oh, we missed you _so_much!" Orange Triplicate Girl cries egnamically. Her other two parts grin and nod in agreement, giggling and successfully cutting off the airways to my lungs.

"It's been a long time," Saturn Girl says warmly, gently embracing me after I am mercifully released from the other girls' death grips.

"Yeah, we have _tons_ of stuff for you to fix," Phantom Girl informs me with a sly wink. Shrinking Violet giggle-snorts happily.

I am soon surrounded by familiar faces; Lightning Lad slaps me on the back heartily, and Cosmic Boy shakes my hand like the professional he has always been.

"Good to have you back, Brainiac 5," Cosmic Boy says, all smiles. "Dream Girl had a vision about you coming back without notice..."

Ah, Dream Girl, of course. By the tiny, satisfied smile she is sending me across the room, I can tell she knew how very much I wanted my return _not _to be so glorified.

"More like _great_!" Lightning Lad corrects, laughing in that loud, boisterous way of his I did not realize I missed. "The toaster has been giving me _such_ a headache, you have to take a look at it!"

"Good to know my worth is limited to fixing kitchen appliances," I muse, but can't help but smile anyway.

"_Someone_ has to," Timber Wolf comments in his low growl of a voice, shaking my hand as well. "I like my bread crisp and my waffles _not _frozen, thank you."

Many others come forth and greet me happily, including Bouncing Boy, who does not hold back with his bear hugs, as usual. The incredible, overwhelming feeling of being home after such a long time grips me, but I do not let my face betray me; I did not spend two years getting my fresh, human emotions under control for a sudden lapse now. I scan the crowd assembled, nodding and shaking hands and receiving laughs and smiles and hugs until I am exhausted from all the attention and just want to go to my lab and experiment in peace. Behind all the happiness, a small wave of relief laps at the corners of my mind. How silly of me to ever have thought I would not be needed here (and not just to fix the toaster).

I already knew it was unlikely that he'd be here, but I cannot help the tiniest feeling of disappointment when I do not see a red cape and black hair in the crowd. I push the ridiculous feeling to the back of my conscience, where it cannot bother me, and return to my previous feeling of euphoria.

"We have some new members," Saturn Girl tells me, capturing my interest.

"Oh?" I hum thoughtfully. "Who?"

I have exchanged pleasantries with every companion now, and most have begun talking amongst themselves and enjoying cake (which is the most unnerving shade of green) and punch. Now, a new face stands before me, one with dark, chocolate skin, perceptive, golden eyes, and black hair that is cropped close to her head. Her uniform is black, with a purple stripe running vertically down the front, white shoulder pads, and a white, eight-pointed star on her chest. Her golden hoop earrings reflect the light as she extends a hand toward me.

"Kid Quantum," she informs me, and I can instantly tell we will get along by the way she exudes a calm, mature aura.

"A pleasure to meet you," I say, as custom dictates, and I mean it. I am secretly glad we do not have another Chameleon on our hands. "What is your power?"

"I can freeze time," she explains. "Only within a limited amount of space, and for a limited amount of time, but it's still pretty useful."

I nod, pleased to know she has a useful power and the Legion has not laxed its expectations for new members since I've been gone. An uneasy feeling itches at the tips of my conscious, and my eyes automatically flicker to the left, above Kid Quantum's shoulder, but as there is nothing there, I shake it off and turn instead to Saturn Girl.

"I thought you said _some_ new members," I say, twitching up an eyebrow.

Saturn Girl blinks once before sighing in an exasperated manner. "He's here," she assures me, pursing her lips expectantly as she scans the space around us. "If you don't come out already, I swear, In-"

"Sorry, sorry, just nervous!" a voice laughs, and a young man materializes in front of me, in the exact spot where I looked moments ago.

"You? _Nervous_?" Phantom Girl repeats somewhere behind me, snorting. "_That's_ new."

I appraise the new member with mild amusement. He has lightly tanned skin and brown hair that falls over a black headband, partially covering mischievous, milk chocolate eyes. He is clad entirely in black save for a gold belt and a white, lower-case "i" running the length of his chest and torso. _If anyone else were to wear something similar_, I think to myself, _they would look like an alphabet ninja out for a jog_. Yet, somehow, this intriguing individual can pull it off.

"And you are?" I urge when he does not immediately give me his name.

"Oh! Invisible Kid," he says quickly, grinning as he shakes my hand with perhaps too much enthusiasm. "Uh, call me Lyle, though. Lyle Norg."

"Well, Lyle," I say. "I'm pleased to make your acquiantance."

"_That's _for sure!" he replies, still grinning from ear to ear as though we are old friends. "I mean, on my part, anyway. Of all the other Legionnaires, you're the one I was looking the most forward to meeting!" He pauses and looks sheepishly at my friends. "No offense, guys."

I want to ask why that is, but instead a more burning question arises. "I suppose your power is obvious, since you just demonstrated it to us," I say. "And which planet are you from, that causes you to be able to become invisible?" I do not recall ever having heard of a planet whose inhabitants have such abilities, which irks me to some degree, as I am quite positive I have every world in the Galaxy memorized.

"I'm from Earth, actually," he explains, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck bashfully. "I developed the invisibility serum myself."

My eyebrows shoot up at this information. Impressive.

"Lyle was a professional spy from a very young age," Saturn Girl tells me.

"Yeah, but I gave that up a long time ago," Lyle dismisses with a chuckle. "I turned to chemistry, mainly xenochemistry, and developed the serum, which I injected into myself."

I keep my gaze on the punch which White Triplicate Girl brought me moments ago before joining Bouncing Boy a bit farther away. For some reason, I am feeling unexplainably irritated with this newcomer, although he has given me no reason to resent him.

"Yeah, Lyle's pretty damn smart," Phantom Girl comments, to which Timber Wolf grunts in grudging agreement. "He improved the flight rings, too."

At this, my head snaps up. I _discovered _the metal used for the flight rings; no one knows how to utilise it, much less improve it, except me. My eyes narrow ever so slightly at Invisible Kid before dropping my gaze back to my innocent punch.

"Nah, not by much," Lyle waves off, a slight blush coating his cheeks. "I just added a force-field similar to the one on Brainy's belt."

Everyone turns to me as if I am expected to say something to this.

"...Huh," I grunt neutrally, sipping my drink absently. I am somewhat irritated, more with myself for actually being so impressed than with Invisible Kid. Creating a superpower and injecting it into his system; it certainly is... _creative_. And figuring out how to improve the flight rings... exactly how intelligent _is_this "Lyle Norg"?

_'He has a ten point five level intellect_,' Saturn Girl mentally answers my gnawing question, giving me a concerned look which I cannot dissect due to my sudden choking on my punch.

"Woah, are you okay?" Lyle exclaims as I cough twice into my fist, eyes watering.

I glare up at him as I struggle to regain my composure. A ten point five? Him? Impossible! How absolutely absurd!

"Fine," I hiss icily, brushing past him and heading toward my long-missed lab, returning calls half-heartedly as I steam in my anger.

Before the gray double-doors close behind me, I catch Lyle muttering, "I don't think he likes me..." to Saturn Girl, who sighs again.

It is only when I am back in the comforting familiarity of my laboratory when I reflect on my actions with confusion and slight humility. What could possibly have possessed me to overreact so much? On that note, what was there to overreact _to_? Lyle seems to be a good, humble person; why do I suddenly regard him with such bitterness?

I sigh and run a hand through my hair. Is this what is called "envy", perhaps? I have not yet come across it as an organic... there are not many things I am envious about to begin with, being a twelfth level intellect, but I suppose Lyle Norg is the exception to that assumption. But no... why would I ever be _jealous _of Invisible Kid? It is as absurd as that ridiculous headband he wears.

I am in the process of convincing myself that there is nothing to be even remotely jealous about when a knock comes to my door. Taken aback, I shake my head to clear my thoughts before going to the doors. They _whoosh_ open to reveal Saturn Girl.

Stepping out of my lab and allowing the doors to shut behind me, I face the blond-haired Legionnaire expectantly. She regards me for a moment with those penetrating pink eyes of hers before placing a hand on my shoulder- an action I understand is meant to be comforting, though I still do not understand how it is exactly.

"Brainy, is there something troubling you?" she asks patiently, something that, if said by anyone else, would irritate me to no end. But, being Saturn Girl, it is only natural for her to concern herself with her friends.

"...No," I answer, shifting my gaze to the side before I can stop myself. Robot or not, lying has never been my forte.

"Brainy," she repeats more earnestly. "Why don't you like Lyle?"

Am I that easy to read?

"I do not have a problem with Invisible Kid," I say honestly, for it is the truth.

Saturn Girl's lips twitch up into a knowing smile. "Ah, I see," she says to herself, closing her eyes and nodding sagely.

I yearn to demand what the sprock she is talking about, but my pride as a Coluan keeps my mouth stubbornly shut, and Saturn Girl turns away to leave.

"And thus, a rivalry is born..." I hear her murmur under her breath as she strides away, a smile in her voice.

Huffing in frustration, I spin on my heel and walk through the automatic doors back into my lab. The broken toaster is sitting on the table next to my tools, and I am halfway to it when I halt in my steps. My scalp prickles uncomfortably in a similar way as earlier today, that itching sense that pulls my attention to the side of the table. Instead of looking there, I continue to walk to the table as though nothing has happened and pick up a screw driver.

"So," I say coolly after several minutes of tinkering with the toaster, not bothering to look away from the contraption. "When were you planning on telling me you're here?"

As expected, Lyle materializes, sitting on the edge of the table and still having that stupid grin on his face; I am beginning to wonder if that is just the way his face permanently is, or if he is actually capable of a frown.

"How do you do that?" he wonders instead of answering my question.

"Do what?" I sigh, giving up on the toaster and setting it back onto the table.

Lyle observes the toaster for a moment before picking it up as he replies, "Know when I'm there."

Taking the screw driver in his hand, Lyle squints comically at the kitchen appliance before giving it a series of mild taps with the butt of the screw driver. The sheet of metal holding the bottom in place falls to the table with a _clang, _achieving what I had given up on moments ago. Glaring momentarily at the offending piece of metal, I snatch the toaster away from Lyle and set it aside. He simply twirls the screw driver in his hand as he waits for a response.

"I just sense you there," I say, crossing my arms over my chest and rolling my eyes up to the ceiling. "Instinct."

"Hm..." he hums, the twirling becoming faster as he stares off at nothing in particular. I cough once into my fist to get his attention.

"_What_ are you doing in my lab?" I ask, aggravated. I do not like other people in my lab.

"Well, at first I wanted to ask if you hate me or something," he says off-handedly, placing the screw driver next to the toaster and ignoring my scoff. "But then I overheard you and Saturn Girl and got my answer. But you still seemed ticked off for some reason, so..." he looks up at me from under his bands, his brown eyes curious. "Why is that?"

"I..." I begin, and then am shocked that I do not have anything to say. "I... don't know."

Lyle lowers his eyes and looks away, actually looking morose, something I would think was impossible. For some reason or another, guilt clenches at my gut, and I find myself speaking before thinking what I am saying all the way through.

"I do not hate you," I say quickly, glaring at my reflection in the toaster. "I am merely... irritated."

In my peripheral vision, I see Lyle tilt his head to the side and give me an odd look. "Okay..." he says slowly. "Why?"

I keep my glare in place as I swivel my head and look directly at him. "I. Don't. Know." I pronounce each word clearly so there is no confusion and I do not have to confess such an atrocity again.

"Okay, okay," Lyle says, raising his hands as if in defence.

I continue to glare at him for several minutes, but he just sits there and swings his feet back and forth, humming an unfamiliar tune to himself. Finally, I huff out a puff of breath and continue to work on the toaster, doing my best to ignore him.

This proves to be impossible as he soon begins to talk about nothing in particular, a pathetic attempt at smalltalk in which I refuse to partake. Why is he _still_ here? There is absolutely nothing of interest in this lab, at least for him, and I certainly am not partaking in the one-sided conversation he insists on making. I do not see what everyone else so apparently sees in this person. He is no genius as the others deem him to be; so he created an invisibility serum, so what? It was probably an accident, like most great inventions are, just like how figuring out how to use the flight ring metal was most likely an accident as well. And the toaster... that was probably just a fluke.

I blink twice and shake my head, wondering where all of these thoughts are coming from. Lyle takes no notice as he continues to prattle on about someone named Coco and I tune him out again. I thank the stars when he shuts up at last, contenting himself with observing me as I move on from the toaster to a bug in the Legion ship carborator. The silence, to my dismay, does not last as long as I would have liked it to.

"How long have you been in the Legion?" he inquires, his gaze travelling in awe around the lab as if it is the most interesting place in the galaxy.

"...A long time," I reply point-blank, not really wishing to speak to him when I am working.

He nods absently, and I wonder, despite myself, what in sprock he is thinking behind that pointless headband of his.

"What are you still doing here?" I ask, unable to bear it any longer.

"Legion HQ?" Lyle questions. "Well, I wanted to meet you before going on a mission, so I-"

"No, I mean in my..." I stop mid-clarification, blinking at him. "What...?"

"I told you, didn't I?" he says, smirking. "Out of all the Legionnaires, _you're _the one I was most looking forward to meeting."

Ah, yes, he _did _say that before, didn't he? A burning question settles in my throat, and I spit it out without thinking.

"_Why?_" I ask incredulously, instantly regretting it. I can already imagine the probable response.

_'You're a Brainiac! You're a member of the Legion to prove you're not like your ancestor, which is really admirable!"_

That is how they all react when they meet me. Why does everyone seem to think I am only a Legionnaire to make amends for Brainiac? Perhaps that was my original motive, but so much has changed over the years. I now have friends and a home to defend. Honestly, Brainiac does not even immediately come to mind anymore when I reflect upon my purpose on the team, especially now that I am more human than ever.

Lyle rolls his eyes playfully. "Isn't that obvious? You're the brains behind the brawns! Without you, this team, and probably this _building, _would fall apart. Not to mention, everyone would be _walking _to battle instead of flying."

My eyebrows twitch up in surprise, and I struggle to regain my composure, but I feel a small blush creep to my cheeks inspite of my effort to keep it at bay.

"Thank you," I mumble awkwardly.

He shrugs dismissively and continues smiling to himself as he hops off the table. Alright, so I must admit; he does have charisma. Perhaps he charmed his way into the hearts of the other Legionnaires. Watching him hum to himself as he heads for the exit, I would not put it past him. I think about what Saturn Girl muttered under her breath earlier and it suddenly has new meaning to me.

_"And thus, a rivalry is born..."_

Invisible Kid, _my _rival? Why, what a ridiculous notion! His intellect does not compare to mine even in the slightest. And yet... I regard the toaster thoughtfully. He certainly is imaginitive, something I, admittedly, have never been good at. I turn and watch the doors slide shut behind him and admit to myself that I am impressed.

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So, how was it? Not too horrible, I hope?? Reviews make me a happy camper!

-paintupurple


	2. The Proposal

Woo! First chapter was a success! At least, for my first story, haha. After I published it, I went back and read it, and found tons of mistakes; sheesh, FF really likes to not leave spaces after an italicized word, doesn't it? So I edited it, but it took me a good half hour to figure out how to edit the content of the chapter, because, well, I'm blond- it takes me a while to figure these things out lol. But now it's all nice and (hopefully) mistake-free.

I went to Hawaii for a week! And I have this thing where I like to include my own experiences in the story, haha. So expect some volcanoes in the future!

Thank you, everyone who reviewed! I love ze feedback! ^__^ Your reviews make me all warm and fuzzy inside. Now, onto chapter the second!

**Disclaimer**: Owning even a tiny fragment of Legion of Superheroes would cause my head to explode from the exposure to pure awesome.

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I am once again in my lab, hanging upside-down from a bar and tinkering with the parts of a Legion rocket. I am most at calm here, "in my zone", as Bouncing Boy would say. A blue glow illuminates my face as I carefully weld two bolts together to fit a compartment. A tiny drop of liquid metal forms at the end of the bolt and drips off, but it lands in a small bowl placed on the ground.

Calmly, I scan the room, inverted because of my position, before going back to work.

"It is not courteous to spy upon others, Invisible Kid," I say tonelessly.

Lyle appears crouching before me, pouting like a child whose toy got taken away.

"Okay, seriously, how do you do that?" he demands, handing me a wrench when I hold out my hand for it. "And don't give me that instinct crap, no one _else_ can ever sense me there."

"Well, besides the fact that objects don't mysteriously appear where they weren't before," I glance pointedly at the bowl below me, where a tiny pool of liquid metal is forming. "I _do_ have a twelfth level intelligence, while everyone else does not. So that might contribute to it."

Lyle sighs dramatically and watches as I weld the bolt into place. For the past few days, it has been a common occurrence for him to come to the lab, sometimes lending aid when it is needed. The others were surprised when I allowed him inside, although I have told them innumerable times that I did not _allow_ anything. He simply sneaks in and is impossible to kick out. Eventually, I learned to tolerate his presence, which, while being shocking to the others, surprises me most of all. I have never allowed _anyone _into my lab before, so why do I exempt Lyle Norg from this rule? Perhaps it is because of his intelligence level that I trust him to some degree with the equipment, or his terrific charisma... or his "puppy dog" eyes. But I refuse to think of that last one as a possibility.

I try my best to ignore the brown eyes gazing steadily at me and begin to unscrew four tiny bolts that hold a square sheet of metal in place over the computer compartment. I then sigh and turn an irritable glare on him.

"_Yes_?" I snap, narrowing my eyes slightly.

Lyle's lips twitch up into a cheeky smile.

"Need help with anything?" he offers, leaning his head into his palm as he regards me with misplaced amusement.

I stare silently at him for a few seconds, and when he does not look away, I huff out a breath of annoyance and flip myself up and over the bar, narrowly avoiding kicking Lyle in the head (I suspect he had already calculated the distance just as I have, for he does not even flinch), and land easily on my feet.

"If you _must_ help," I say, implying with my tone that I need anything _but_. "You can start working on the next rocket. We have five in disrepair at the moment, but the damage is easy enough to fix."

Pleased, Lyle swivels on his heel and immediately begins to unscrew various, specific bolts on the rocket sitting next to mine, humming tunelessly to himself. I find myself glancing over every now and then at his method of work, once again perplexed and miffed by the imaginative approach he takes with his tasks.

Before long, though, we are immersed in our work, and few words pass between us in a comfortable atmosphere. I would never admit it out loud, but I actually somewhat enjoy the company, and Lyle's animated expressions when he comes across an obstacle or achieves something do not cease to amuse me.

I do not know how much time has passed, for I often lose track of time when working in the lab, but I know it must have been quite a while, for we have already fixed the rockets and a glitch in Computo's system, and are now leaning over a smooth, cold table, inspecting and picking apart a nanite from the Legion hospital wing. We are attempting to get it to move in a certain way that would enable it to secrete a virus from a person's body more efficiently.

"Maybe if we move this point zero two four centimeters to the left," Lyle mumbles to himself, intensely bent over his work.

I almost smile as I look up at him, so intent upon his work, before going back to my own. Occasionally, our hands brush when we reach for a certain tool, but neither of us says anything as we continue to work.

Eventually, there comes a knock at the door. Lyle and I glance up at each other momentarily before getting up and heading to the door. When it _whooshes_ open, Saturn girl is revealed, a smile on her face and a floating, silver platter at her side. There are two glasses filled with lemonade and a pile of sandwiches placed upon it.

"I thought you guys could use a break," she says, her pink eyes flickering back and forth between the two of us. "I brought you food."

I am about to object, but when I look at the sandwiches lying temptingly on the dish, my stomach gives an involuntary growl. I silently curse this human need for regular sustenance. Lyle thanks her and pops a sandwich into his mouth, grinning in content.

"How long have we been working?" he inquires between giant bites.

"Chew your food, Lyle," I instruct, observing him with a combination of disgust and humor as he inhales his third sandwich.

"Eight hours," Saturn girl replies to Lyle's question. He chokes on his food and I slap him on the back several times as he hacks.

"_Eight hours_?" he repeats incredulously, looking back at our progress. "I didn't even notice..."

"Lemonade?" Saturn Girl offers, handing him a glass.

"Thanks, Imra," he smiles appreciatively, taking it from her.

"I'll leave you to your work, then," she says, excusing herself. "Oh, Brainy, don't stay up _too_ long, okay?"

The metal doors shut closed behind her and we are left alone again. I lead the platter of snacks and refreshments to an empty table and take a sandwich, hungrier than I realized.

"Eight hours," Lyle mutters to himself again, shaking his head in disbelief. "That would make it nine p.m. right now."

"It's good to know you can do simple math," I say, sipping my lemonade as I inspect our work. We _did_ get a lot done... why does it not feel like so much time has elapsed?

Lyle ignores my insult good-naturedly and finishes off his fifth sandwich (I have absolutely no idea where he fits all that food), gulping down his drink afterwards.

"Well, I have to go, then," he tells me, brushing past me and walking back to the door.

"Why?" I blurt, then instantly flush when I hear the disappointment in my own voice.

He turns back and gives me a quizzical look, and I hope my expression does not betray me as I meet his gaze.

"Well," he says slowly, still giving me that odd look. "It's getting late... I need a shower, and I promised to watch movies with Phantom Girl."

What is this sudden anger toward Phantom Girl I am feeling? I make an appropriate "Hm" sound in response, rearranging the tools on the desk to avoid looking at him.

"Yeah, watching ancient movies on Saturdays is like our thing," he explains. "Timber Wolf joins us sometimes, but he doesn't really get it." He chuckles to himself.

My legs carry me, without my consent, to the door, where he is standing, about to leave.

"Um... have fun," I mumble, unsure of why I approached him. He stares at me for a moment before breaking out into a grin.

"What?" he teases. "_Jealous_?"

Shocked, I gape at his audacity and he bursts out laughing.

"Uh, _no_, Lyle," I bite sharply, agitated. "I am _not _jea-"

"You can come too, if you want," he interrupts, all smiles and carefree attitude. "We're having a _Star Wars_ marathon."

I consider, to my surprise, accepting, but soon come to my senses. I have work to do, and besides, ancient movies only frustrate me to no end. Plus, I do not think Phantom Girl would appreciate my intrusion upon "their thing".

"No, thank you," I refuse blankly, finding myself feeling disappointed again for some incomprehensible reason.

He raises his eyebrows expectantly, and I realize he must be waiting for me to say something; understandable, as I _did_ just march up to him for no apparent reason.

"You can come here and help anytime," I say before I can stop myself. Feeling my face heat up in embarrassment, I quickly add, "If you want. I can use the help, I suppose. It does get things done faster."

Lyle looks as surprised as I am at my words, but he is soon smiling again, his chocolate eyes twinkling.

"Tomorrow, then?" he asks eagerly.

"Yes, fine," I sigh, well aware that I am keeping him from his plans.

"It's a date, then," Lyle confirms, and is out the door before I can process the implication behind his words.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three hours and seventeen minutes later, I wipe my hands off on a towel as I look over my work. I must admit, I got a lot more done with Lyle's assistance than I could have alone. Remembering Saturn Girl's words of concern for my health, I run one last glance around the lab before walking to the exit, stretching my arms up over my head as I go, missing the feeling of extending my limbs as far as they would go. When the doors slide open, a surprised Lightning Lad is standing at the entrance, his fist poised in the air as though he was about to knock.

"Oh, uh..." he says, dropping his arm limply back to his side. "Is... is Lyle there?"

I raise an eyebrow at his uncharacteristic behavior as he shifts nervously from foot to foot.

"No, Invisible Kid is not here," I say, waiting for the doors to shut behind me before quickly typing in the security code to lock up the lab.

"Oh, okay, I'll go find him," he says hurriedly, spinning around and walking off in the opposite direction.

"He is watching ancient movies with Phantom Girl," I call, rolling my eyes. _Star Wars_, how ridiculous.

Lightning Lad freezes mid-step and groans.

"Sprock, Phantom Girl?" he grimaces, running a hand through his russet hair. "I can't talk to him with _her_ there..."

"Might I inquire as to what you wish to speak with Invisible Kid about?" I interrupt the pointless rant he is having with himself.

He jumps as though he has forgotten I am there and turns to face me unwillingly. I can tell the topic of discussion is not something he wishes me to know about. He also does not want Phantom Girl to know, so then...

"Is this about Saturn Girl?" I guess, folding my arms across my chest.

I know I have hit the nail on the head when his shoulders tense up and color floods to his cheeks. He twitches his head both ways, checking to see if we are alone, then rushes up to me, stopping less than a foot away. The term "personal bubble" comes to mind as I look up at him, trying to be patient.

"I was going to talk about this with Lyle," he says in a rush, the words overflowing one on top of the other as his eyes shift from left to right, looking anywhere but at me. "But since he's busy, and everyone else is either asleep or a girl, well..."

His eyes finally land on me, a lost, pleading light blue. Ignoring the fact that I am apparently his last resort, I reply, "Yes, I have some time, Garth."

Relief washes over his features and he smiles thankfully at me. Then, he grabs my arm and begins to drag me away, toward his room. I want to tell him I am perfectly capable of walking on my own, but I keep my mouth shut, not wanting to set off his nerves while he is in such an agitated state.

We make it to his room and he shoves me inside, locking the doors behind us. Annoyed, I brush myself off and take a look around; the room's walls, floor and ceiling are a dark, midnight blue, and a fair portion of the ceiling is covered with a large, yellow, lightning bolt. There is a bed with white and dark blue bedding in the corner, various posters of heroes and sport stars clutter the walls, and a bookshelf on the opposite wall hosts an impressive collection of novels and comic books. Various papers and articles of clothing are scattered across the floor and upon the bed. I am not surprised.

Lightning Lad ambles to the desk beside the bookshelf and disposes himself onto the chair in front of it. He then promptly drops his arms onto the desk, followed by his head, scattering more paper onto the floor. Taking that as a cue to make myself comfortable, I walk to the armchair that sits angled towards the bookshelf and position myself on it, grimacing at how overly-soft it is. It practically swallows me whole as I sink into it. Nonetheless, I turn my attention to Lightning Lad, who is staring at his hands with his chin resting on the table.

"Imra, she..." he begins, clearing his throat uncomfortably. "She means a lot to me."

I nod, being well aware of the relationship between the two.

"And, well..." he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly. It is obviously difficult for him to be so openly sentimental; that, at least, is one thing the two of us have in common. "I really can't imagine life without her, and..."

I wait patiently while he collects himself. There are several ways this could go, some more uncomfortable to discuss than others, but Garth needs somebody to listen to him, so I will stay and hear him through. No matter _how_ much I wish to return to my own room and sleep.

"I... I want to ask her to marry me!" he blurts, sitting up and clenching his fists on the table.

I blink. Well, that is... unexpected.

Married... they are old enough, I suppose. I should not be so surprised; I know Garth loves Imra very much, and she reciprocates those feelings. I imagine it: Saturn Girl walking down the isle in a long, white dress, with Lightning Lad waiting proudly for her in a groom's tuxedo, with every Legionnaire watching happily. I smile, a pleasant warmth and happiness for my friends seeping into me.

Lightning Lad looks shocked at my reaction, and he gets up so fast he nearly knocks the chair over.

"Why is that funny?" he demands, the panic clear in his voice. Clearly, he mistook my expression of congratulations for one of contempt. "Would she see me as a joke? Is the idea totally stupid? Should I wait?"

He begins to pace back and forth, oblivious to my eyerolls directed at his comments.

"What if she says no? Maybe she wants to wait a few years and I'm rushing it..."

"Lightning Lad..." I say, standing.

"Does she even feel the same way? Maybe she's just settling for me or..." he continues.

"_Lightning Lad_," I repeat slightly louder, approaching him cautiously. Great stars, but he's giving me a headache.

"I'm so _stupid_ for even considering it! Forget I said any-"

"_Garth_!" I exclaim, grabbing a fistful of his uniform and yanking him down to my eye-level. "Shut. Up."

He blinks slowly at me and nods obediantly. Not letting go, I say, articulating every word perfectly to get it through his head, "She will _definitely _accept the proposal. I am sure Imra would love to be married to you."

A wide grin spreads across Lightning Lad's features, and he looks absolutely elated at the though. Satisfied, I release him and step back.

"Now, is that all you needed?" I ask, glancing subtly at my watch. It is half past midnight, and I am beginning to feel the exhaustion of the day's work taking it's toll on me.

"Uh, no," he replies, rushing to his desk again.

Repressing a sigh, I go to stand beside him as he rummages through the top desk drawer.

"I kind of have _no_ idea how to propose to her," Garth admits grudgingly as he searches. "I'm not good at that kind of stuff, you know, being romantic and all that... Aha! Here it is!"

He withdraws his hand from the drawer and hands me the small, velvet box. I crack it open and peer at the ring inside; the band is silver, with a circular, multi-faceted diamond in the center. On either side of the diamond are two smaller gems, one pink and one the same clear-white as the main diamond. It truly is something I can envision Saturn Girl wearing.

Smiling as I hand it back to him, I say, "It's beautiful. She will love it."

He grins again in relief. "Oh, good. But, um, yeah, that thing I need help on..." He trails off, looking embarrassed.

"Sorry, Lightning Lad," I look up at him apologetically. "You know I'm not good at that either. Besides, I am not very creative with these things."

"Yeah, I know..." He looks disappointed as he places the box back in the drawer. "That's why I wanted to talk to Lyle about it..."

"He will be helping me in the lab again tomorrow," I tell him, hoping to lift his mood despite feeling a tiny bit inferior to Lyle Norg's imagination. "I will mention it to him."

He smiles with unspoken gratitude and follows me to the exit; I suppress a yawn as I step out of the room, wondering _how_ people get _anything_ done when they need to eat and sleep so often.

"Hey, thanks, Brainy," Lightning Lad says as I am about to leave. "I feel a lot more..." he pauses to find the right word. "_At ease_ about the whole thing now."

I smile in response and walk away, barely conscious as I struggle to keep my eyes open long enough to make it to my room. To my dismay, I find myself unable to recall the way back to said room. I suppose the fatigue, combined with the fact that I spend most of my time either in my lab or on a mission, have made me rather confused as to the correct direction to take. Too tired to bother to search for the chamber, I simply allow my flight ring to guide me, floating along, to my lab. I manage to disengage the security on my third try and enter the large room, where I settle down at a desk and continue to tinker with the blasted nanite.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I dream of walking down a peaceful, gravel path surrounded by tall sycamore trees. Butter-yellow sunshine filters through the green foliage and warms my skin, and I smile as two butterflies, one green and one blue, flutter by playfully. As I travel further down the path, the ground becomes littered with thousands of grains of white rice, until I am no longer walking on gravel, but on rice. When I glance behind me, the road I have left behind is dark and shadowed. I shudder, glad to be out of there and into the warmth.

I stop as I come across a fork in the road. Observing both paths, I find myself unable to choose one to take.

To the right, the forest clears and the path leads to a room. It is my lab, comforting and familiar, but tall windows are added, letting in shimmering, inviting sunshine. On the counter sit two cups of what I recognize to be hot chocolate, complete with marshmallows and wafer tubes. I can smell the rich milk-chocolate from where I stand.

On the left, the forest continues, the path difficult to discern. I am unsure, if I take that path, that I will make it to the correct destination- or if the destination is somewhere I would even _want_ to be. And yet it tugs at my heart just at the clear, comforting path does. There are dozens of butterflies, each the most familiar shade of blue, yet I cannot recall what it is they remind me of.

Somehow, I know that, even if I _did_ know which path to take, I would not be able to move to it. My feet are rooted in place, unwilling to move when I tell them to. Something is keeping me from the paths, and I cannot go back the way I came- nor do I want to. I am stuck in place. I stand there, unable to do anything, until the scenery blurs and fades, and I am feeling cool metal pressed to my cheek.

"Braaaiiiiinyyyyy," a voice calls softly, tingling pleasantly in my ear. "Braaaaaiiiiiinyyyyyyy... time to wake up..."

I grunt quietly, clinging vainly onto sleep as it slips from reach, wishing to go back to the comfort of wandering dreams. I am growing increasingly uncomfortable as my level of consciousness rises.

I crack open an eye, wincing as light enters my vision. I blink several times before everything comes into focus.

I am startled to the point of nearly falling out of my seat when I am greeted with a pair of curious, brown eyes. I catch myself and stumble once before regaining my composure and glaring through half-lidded eyes at Lyle, who is seated opposite of where I was, his chin propped up by his hands.

"Morning!" he greets cheerfully.

I grumble irritably in response and walk around the table, flicking Lyle on the head when I pass him. I exit the lab and walk to an elevator, yawning into my fist. Lyle follows, whistling to himself.

"Did you spend the night in there?" he asks out of nowhere.

I am too tired to come up with a sarcastic response, so I settle on nodding as we enter the elevator. I check my watch and find it to be a little past eight in the morning, acceptable for a Sunday, I suppose. The elevator stops on the ground floor, and Lyle trails after me into the kitchen. Coffee pours itself into a mug for me, and I grab it and sit at the table.

"Why didn't you go back to your room after I left?" Lyle asks again, his expression turning disapproving. "You didn't work all night, did you? That's not good for you."

I sigh and rub my temples. It is too early in the morning for this.

"I _did_ leave," I retort, unable to find the strength to put as much bite into the statement as I want to. "But Lightning Lad wanted to talk... actually, he wished to speak with you, but I told him you were busy, so he settled on me."

Lyle purses his lips in an obvious attempt to keep from smiling.

"And why didn't you go to your room after _that_?" he questions, unable to let it go.

"I was tired, okay?" I snap, genuinely annoyed now. "_Grife_, can I continue now?"

Lyle chortles to himself and nods.

"He wants to propose to Saturn Girl," I continue, feeling satisfied when Lyle's eyes widen and his jaw drops. "And wanted my opinion."

"What did you say?" he asks excitedly.

"I said it was a good idea, and I am sure she would love to marry him," I reply, sipping my coffee gingerly. "He also wanted help in finding a way to propose to her, which is where _you_ come in."

Lyle's expression brightens continuously until I wish I had sunglasses to look at him.

"Awesome! I love that sort of thing!" he exclaims, bouncing in his seat.

To my pleasant surprise, he stops talking and looks down in concentration, his brow furrowing above his milk chocolate eyes, and the sunlight that is streaming through the floor-to-ceiling windows entwines itself into his brown hair. I am hit with an odd sense of déjà-vu, but I shake it off and finish off my coffee, content with the precious silence that is so rare when Lyle is around.

He is just as silent as we make our way back to the lab, as well as when we get inside and begin our work. I soon forget he is even there as I focus on the toaster before me, which is, once again, broken. I do not know why we even _have_ such an out-dated contraption, we are funded well enough to afford a new toaster.

"Got it!" Lyle shouts out of nowhere, causing me to jump and drop my screw-driver.

Glaring pointedly at him, I bend down to pick it up and set it on the table before turning to him, arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

"The proposal," he clarifies, eyes twinkling like they always do when he gets excited. "I have the _perfect_ idea for it!"

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Chapter two is finished! Yay! Without Reviews I am an emo child! You don't want to see me curled up in an emo corner, do you?

-paintupurple


	3. The Unexpected

Hi hi everyone! Sorry for the lack of update for like a month... hehe... I am guilty of procrastination, I admit. That, and I've been having a lot of things going on- I'm taking Health over the summer so I don't have to take it at school, and it's a full four hours a day! I pretty much spend the entire time drawing haha. Also my summer reading book have FINALLY come in the mail, so now I have no excuse to not read them haha.

On a side note- who here has read _Interview With the Vampire_? Anyone? Anyone? CUZ I FREAKING LOVE IT LIKE WOAH. I'm itching to run to the library and get the next one!

...God, I am such a nerd.

Note for the chapter: Some of you may not know the significancy of Titan; it's Saturn Girl's home, and it's the largest of Saturn's fifty-three moons.

Now then, on to the chapter!

**Disclaimer**: *mumble* Yeahdon'townLegiondon'trubitin.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"It's not going to work," a voice cracks for the seventeenth time.

I allow Lyle to calm Garth (_again_), while I check my handheld computer to make sure all is going to go as planned.

"Yes, it will," Lyle replies cheerfully. I have no idea how he can keep the impatience out of his voice. I would have snapped by now in his place, having to deal with such an annoying, uncharacteristically self-conscious Lightning Lad.

"How do you know?" Garth demands, glancing pleadingly back and forth between Lyle's eyes as if searching for the proof within them.

"Because," Lyle explains, with the tone of someone explaining to a toddler that two plus two does, in fact, equal four. "_I _came up with it."

I hastily disguise my snort as a cough and pretend to type something into my computer as Lyle brushes tiny pieces of lint off Lightning Lad's shoulder. He is dressed in his cleanest, brightest uniform, his hair is sleeker and more managed than usual, and the light scent of cologne emanates off him. I smile at the idea that he only ever goes to such lengths to impress for Saturn Girl.

"Now, you both remember the plan?" I say, snapping shut the computer and turning to the both of them.

Lightning Lad nods warily, looking a bit paler than usual, and Invisible Kid mock-salutes me. Somehow, I do not feel assured in the least.

A soft knock comes to the door, and Lightning Lad actually flinches; this is so completely unlike the Garth I know that I have the urg to slap some sense into him. He casts a nervous look at Lyle, and the latter nods encouragingly, giving him two thumbs up. He takes a deep, shaky breath, as if preparing to plunge head-first into ice-water, and walks stiffly to the doors. They slide open and reveal Saturn Girl, who smiles warmly at Lightning Lad when she sees him. Phantom Girl must have convinced her to endure one of her notorious "make-overs"; her long, blonde hair falls in waves to her waist and catches the light brilliantly, and her lips are a glossy, baby pink that matches her eyes.

"You look... really pretty," Lightning Lad says awkwardly, and I have to resist smacking my forehead. Still, Saturn Girl's cheeks momentarily flush.

She notices us over Lightning Lad's shoulder and says, "Brainy, Lyle, what are you two doing here?"

Lightning Lad jumps slightly and jerks his head in our direction, blinking at us. He has probably forgotten we are even here.

"Oh, um..." I begin, at a loss for what to say. I never _have _been good at lying. "We were... that is to say... uh..."

"We were just asking Garth here what good movies are out," Lyle quickly intervenes, to my immense relief. "Brainy and I thought we could take a break from the lab, go and catch a late show, you know?"

He grins and slings an arm casually over my shoulder, which I think is rather over-doing it, but I clench my teeth and do not say anything.

"Is that so...?" Saturn Girl says, raising one eyebrow suspiciously and turning her penetrating gaze upon me. I know what she is thinking; I _never _take breaks, and very rarely do I leave headquarters except to go on missions. Also, I am not one who is particularly inclined to waste time and money on something as pointless as a fictitious movie, especially not with _Lyle _of all people.

"Yep, right, Brainy?" Lyle asks, unperturbed, and I only manage to suppress a grimace.

"Yes, that's right," I say through gritted teeth. If that arm does not remove itself from my shoulder in ten seconds...

"Well, see you guys later," Garth says loudly, understandably eager to get out of here as quickly as possible. He ushers Imra out the door, shooting a loaded look over his shoulder at us in the process.

Seven seconds...

Lyle winks and gives him another thumbs-up with his free hand, and the doors shut behind them.

Four...

"Ready to play ninja and follow them?" Lyle says excitedly to me, eyes shining mischievously.

I do not reply, choosing instead to slowly rotate my head in his direction and fix him with the most venomous glare I can muster.

Two...

Lyle chortles and removes his arm, sparing it from being mercilessly ripped out of its socket, but not before ruffling my hair like a canine's.

"You're so cute when you do that pout thing!" he says brightly, skipping out of the way before my fist can collide with his head. "Now come on, we have to get to the planetarium before they do."

He twirls back to face me with an expectant expression upon his face, his hands poised on his hips. Collecting the shredded remains of my dignity, I brush past him, giving him a sour look as I do so, and exit the room.

_____________________________________________________________________

I sit behind the main computer in the control center at the Metropolis City Planetarium, constantly checking over everything while supervising the monitors surrounding me. The security guards standing bunched together near the door seem torn between looking offended and casting me reluctantly interested looks, obviously unnerved by my ability to reprogram everything so quickly while easily cracking security codes with hardly any effort.

When Lyle and I called the planetarium earlier and requested their permission to set all of this up, they seemed most reluctant, most likely thinking of the extensive damage the Legion has caused to other areas of the city. Lyle, being the blissfully charismatic soul that he is, was able to persuade the balding, sour-faced manager quite easily into allowing us in when he explained (and his explanation included skillfully inserted flattery) that we were only planning a surprise wedding proposal for a Legion couple, and would never cause any damage to the facilities (here, he assured him the Legion of Superheroes has the most technologically savvy person in the galaxy, causing me to swell with silent pride).

With everything as ready as I could possibly make it, I turn my attention to one of the little monitor screens, where people are slowly filing past with their heads turning in every direction, observing the simulated stars in the black, dome-shaped building. I know Lyle is standing near the control panel towards the back of the large, circular room, completely invisible.

After several minutes, familiar fuschia pink and a crop of orange hair catch my eye; Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad enter, arm-in-arm, Imra looking serene as always with a small smile on her face, and Garth holding his head high and his chest out, looking quite proud. I allow myself a brief smile and watch with a careful eye as Lightning Lad leads her to the center of the room. A few more minutes pass, and the guards at the doors close off the entrance.

"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Metropolis City Planetarium," a female voice chirps over the intercom. "We have a wonderful show planned for you tonight, filled with interesting facts about our solar system and how the ancient people of earth viewed the heavens!"

The voice begins to point out constellations, and I type in a few keys to simulate images traced into the stars; centaurs, lions, and ancient gods light up the inside of the dome. The announcer continues to chitter to the listening visitors, explaining the stories of various constellations, while I almost lazily switch the displayed images to match with the show's program. Fifteen minutes into the presentation, I bring my flight ring to my lips.

"Ready, Lyle?" I say, focussing on where Lyle is stationed.

The control panel door swings open seemingly on its own, going unnoticed by everyone, whose heads are tilted up towards the ceiling.

"Yep," Lyle replies, and I tune into what the voice on the intercom is saying.

"And now, the planets of our solar system," it says in practiced-cheeriness, and I obligingly switch the images on the walls to that of the eight planets and their moons.

When she gets to Saturn, I zoom in on the planet to show its numerous moons and tense in preparation.

"Please direct your attention to Titan, the largest moon of Saturn!"

Heads simultaneously turn to the moon, and Lyle takes his cue. The large, red lever in the control panel swings down down, and all the lights in the dome switch off, bathing everyone in inky darkness.

Knowing I only have about five seconds, I set to work immediately, my fingers flying over the keyboard. I can hear shuffling behind me and assume the guards are trying to get a closer look. I finish quickly and am up and out of my chair at once, heading towards the door.

"Now!" I say to my flight ring.

I arrive in the dome just as the lights flicker back on, entering through the "Employed Personnel Only" door and joining Lyle in rushing to get a look at our work. People blink and look around for a few seconds, confused; the images on the walls and ceiling are back to black, with millions of stars winking down at everyone. One by one, everyone's attention turns to where Titan was just a few seconds ago. In its place, taking up a good one-quarter of the curved wall, the stars have rearranged themselves into one large, glittering message:

WILL YOU MARRY ME, IMRA?

A group has already gathered around where Saturn Girl and Lightning Lad are, and Lyle and I break through the throng of people to get a better look at them. Saturn Girl is staring wide-eyed at the message, her hands placed over her mouth. Lightning Lad is smiling widely as though he has just won the lottery, and is gazing intently at Saturn Girl, gauging her reaction and apparently greatly enjoying her speechlessness. He allows her another minute to stare at the message before clearing his throat quietly.

Imra tears her eyes from the twinkling message, along with every pair of eyes in the vicinity, and switches them to Lightning Lad, who gently pries her hands from her mouth and holds them in his own. Saturn Girl shuts her mouth, which was agape, and watches with a dazed expression as Lightning Lad gets down to one knee, never breaking eye-contact with her.

"Saturn Girl," he says, gazing sincerely into her shining eyes. "Imra... I've loved you for a very long time, and I only love you more and more every day."

Those who cannot contain their "aaawwe"s are quickly hushed by their neighbors.

"That's why," he continues, ignoring everyone and letting go of Saturn Girl's hands to retrieve a small, velvety box from his pocket. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

He cracks open the box, takes out the ring, which glitters in the starlight and earns several gasps of admiration from the audience, and slips it onto her left ring finger.

"Will you marry me?"

The room is completely silent as every person holds their breath, staring at Saturn Girl in anticipation. Imra stares, frozen, down at Garth for several seconds, her pink eyes slowly filling with tears.

A beautiful smile suddenly lights up her face, brighter than any star in the room.

"Of course!" she cries, and flings herself into Garth's arms, tears streaming freely down her glowing face.

The room errupts in cheers of approval, and several couples embrace or kiss happily in the heat of the moment; I find myself clapping along with everyone else, a pleasant warmth humming in my chest. Lyle grabs my arm and steers me towards Garth and Imra, looking quite triumphant.

"I knew it," Saturn Girl says when she sees us, sending us a sly look. "Only _you _two could pull something like this off."

Lyle laughs heartily and hugs Imra, who wipes her eyes on the back of her hand and cannot seem to keep a smile off her face. I shake Lightning Lad's hand in congratulations, and he sends me a grateful look. I hug Imra next while Lyle clasps hands with Garth, truly happy for my friends.

"Thanks, guys," Garth says to me and Lyle, taking hold of Imra's hand again and pulling her towards him. "I never could have done something like this on my own."

I open my mouth to welcome him, then stop and bite my lower lip.

"Well, it was Invisible Kid's idea," I reply, smiling at Lyle, who looks taken aback but pleased nonetheless. "I just provided the technological means."

"Don't be modest, Brainy," Lyle says, clapping a hand onto my shoulder. "You did most of the work!"

"What's this?" Saturn Girl asks, raising her eyebrows in pretend shock. "You two are actually friends now?"

I send her an unamused look and am about to retort when Lyle cuts me off.

"More like 'friendly rivals', right, Brainy?" he states, casting me a bright smile.

"Yes," I agree contentedly. "Something like that."

_____________________________________________________________________________________

I spend the rest of the night deeply regretting I ever said anything close to admitting I tolerate Lyle Norg.

"What?" countless Legionnaires would say, baffled. "Brainy actually didn't take credit for his brilliance for once?" As if it were some sort of unnatural phenomenon. Lyle's comments were even worse. "Aw, don't pay any attention to them, Brainy! Come on, let's hang out tomorrow or something!"

I swear, he does it on purpose.

I lean my head into my hands at the kitchen counter, watching Timber Wolf bustle around the kitchen, grumbling to himself as he makes the cookies Phantom Girl requested. Lyle is in the lab, so of course I'm at the opposite side of the building. It irritates me that I cannot experiment as much as I would like to, but I would rather not face a full-of-it Lyle at the moment. I turn my head to the side and sigh, feeling useless without a tool in my hands.

"Hey, Princess, stop moping and have a cookie," Timber Wolf growls, setting a plate down before me.

I do not protest; Brin's cookies are worth the insults.

"Thank you," I mumble, taking a bite from one of the cookies and enjoying the sensation of baked dough and semi-sweet chocolate chips on my tongue.

Brin grunts in response and sets another plate next to mine. "Bring that to Lyle later."

I give him a reproachful look as I chew my cookie.

"Don't give me that look," he warns, looking very intimidating in his pink pin-striped apron. "Here, bring this, too."

He sets two mugs full of steaming hot chocolate on the table and walks back to the oven to check on the second batch. I watch the steam curl into the air from the hot, rich liquid and get another odd feeling of deja-vu. Where have I seen this before...?

Shaking it off yet again, I get out of my seat and pick up the platter of cookies and hot chocolate, deciding I might as well get it over with now and then go to bed. I bid Timber Wolf good night and make my way down the dark, silent corridors, towards the laboratory. The doors slide open to admit me and I step inside, casting my eyes over the room and spotting Lyle, his head lying on the desk before him, deeply asleep. I come to a halt and stare at his back for a moment before sighing and walking to his side. I place the platter next to his head and then pause again, considering just leaving now and going back to my room.

My eyes flicker over his face, half-hidden behind a mess of silky brown hair; I realize with a start that he is not wearing his trade-mark headband. It is lying under his hand upon the desk, looking strangely like some sort of small, resting creature. I am so unaccustomed to seeing Lyle without it I actually stare at his head for a solid minute, thinking it to look oddly desolate. My gaze then lowers to his closed eyes and dark eyelashes, then his slightly-open mouth, and again I find it odd, for I am so used to always seeing Lyle's emotions so blatantly clear on his face, his lips always set into a wide grin...

Unconsciously, my hand moves forward, brushing away a lock of hair from his face, and I let my hand hover in the air for a few seconds before snatching it back, astonished at my own actions. It must really be getting late, I am obviously quite deprived of sleep...

I start to turn around, entirely ready to leave, then stop and listen to the slow, rhythmic breathing behind me. Sprock this human conscience.

I silently turn back around and tap Lyle on the shoulder. He mumbles something incomprehensible under his breath but continues to sleep, as if to spite me.

"Lyle," I say, shaking his shoulder slightly and getting on eye-level with him. "Wake up and eat these cookies so I can go to sleep."

One eye creaks open and struggles to focus on me, and I purse my lips and wait; after blinking several times, Lyle cracks a huge yawn and fully opens both of his ochre eyes, which travel around the room a bit before landing on me.

"Uh... Lyle...?" I ask, unsure. I have the distinct feeling the better part of his conscience remains in his dreams; his eyes seem strangely unfocused as he stares at me.

It all happens too quickly for me to process. One moment, Lyle is seated, staring up at me with a dazed expression, the next, his chair scrapes against the floor and the short distance between us is closed.

It is perhaps the first time my brain has ever failed me, and at the most inconvenient moment at that. My eyes are wide and fixed upon Lyle's closed eyelids; I remain completely frozen, my mind frighteningly blank, all attention focused on the pair of lips now pressing upon my own.

I mentally slap myself and, thankfully, regain enough sense to push Lyle away; he sinks back into the chair and folds his arms upon the table, resting his head upon them and closing his eyes. Within seconds, he is again fast asleep, and I am halfway across the building, my lips still burning.

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Forgive me if there are massive errors, I totally wrote the last half of this chapter at like two in the morning hahaha.

I seriously laughed out loud when I went back and re-read the part with Brainy and his hand-held computer; I suddenly had Sailor Moon flashbacks, with Amy's little Sailor Mercury computer lol.

Thank you for reading, reviews make me poop rainbows and unicorns! =D

-paintupurple


	4. The Break In

Ah, school is looming ever closer. _ And I have yet to finish my summer assignments for AP US History and AP English. Junior year's gonna suck. =P I took a break from the neverending torment that is _The Grapes of Wrath_ to write out this chapter, since I haven't posted in a while. I don't know why I didn't post sooner, I had the chapter all written out in my notebook and everything... I think something in me just refuses to update until the last possible moment... *nervous laugh*

So uh, enjoy! =D

**Disclaimer**: I SO OWN IT! ....Kidding.

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I sleep fretfully that night, tossing and turning and tangling the bedsheets, unable to relax and empty my mind. My dreams come and go, a myriad of confused sounds and colors, and always that fork in the road, more pronounced and urgent than ever.

I am most unwilling to get out of bed come morning. The small trickle of sunlight that peeks through the curtains in my room falls upon my cheek in playful warmth, and for a while I simply lay there while the last traces of sleep leave my reluctant mind. In the end, I force myself to rise and go through my morning routine, knowing that Kid Quantum and her team are back from their mission with an arsenal of damaged machinery that I must fix.

As it is only a little past seven in the morning, I sincerely hope a certain headband-bearing ex-spy is not awake yet. I have a feeling I will be avoiding him today at all costs.

After showering and changing into my clothes as slowly as possible so as to delay my departure, I head to the doors. I come to a halt when I see a neat, cream-colored envelope lying face-down on the floor at the entrance, jammed half-way under the automatic doors. I bend down and take the envelope curiously in my hand, then flip it over, where it says _"Brainiac 5"_ in loopy, italicized font. I break the seal on the envelope, a golden Legion symbol, as I walk, and retrieve the expensive-looking parchment from within.

_"You have been cordially invited to the wedding of Garth Ranzz and Imra Ardeen, which will be held at precisely 4 p.m. on the twelfth of June, outside the front of Legion headquarters."_

I stare at the invitation, wondering why they bothered to use actual paper instead of sending invitations out to everyone's handhelds. I tuck the letter back into its container and put it in my pocket.

"Morning, Brainy!"

I stop, frozen, in my tracks, and meet the source of the voice in a sort of dreadful anticipation; I have unknowingly walked into the kitchen whilst reading the letter, lost in my own thoughts as usual, and now a clueless-looking Lyle Norg is holding out a cup of coffee to me like a peace offering. I stare at the mug, watching the steam curl gracefully into the air from the black coffee; I can smell the rich aroma from where I stand. I glance at Lyle, at his expectant, chocolate eyes and hesitantly smiling lips... and turn on my heel and begin to leave before I vomit.

"Hey, wait up!" Lyle calls, catching up to me. "What gives, Brainy? Do I have coffee breath or something?"

I know he is only making an innocent joke, but the irony of the question is not past me and my discomfort only increases. I do not reply but keep walking, not really having any direction or purpose, while Lyle trails me like an annoying, spandexed shadow.

"Come on, talk to me, please," he pleads behind me, exasperated.

I stop suddenly and he stumbles behind me, trying not to run into me. With the upmost reluctance, I turn to him, keeping my expression blank. His face is that of an abandoned puppy, his lower lip jutting out in a pitiful pout and his eyes large and wimpering. I am ashamed to admit I feel guilt welling up inside me.

"Did I do something wrong...?" he asks desperately, adding to the guilt.

I purse my lips for a moment before deciding I should reply or forever be consumed by my own conscience.

"Do you... remember anything happening last night, after you went to the lab?" I ask slowly, choosing my words carefully. Judging from his behavior, I think I already know the answer to this question, but the words are out before I can alter them.

Lyle's brows knit together as he lowers his gaze, apparently trying to remember. I hope it is an unsuccessful attempt.

"Um," he mutters, peering up at me through thick, dark lashes. "I worked a bit on a malfunctioning Legion belt... then I think I fell asleep, and..."

My heart leaps into my throat as he trails off, nearly choking me; I swallow inconspicuously and try to ignore the pounding in my ears.

"And then I woke up, and there was this plate of cookies next to me," Lyle finishes, frowning in confusion, crossing his arms over his chest.

"...Anything else?" I ask warily.

Lyle stares at me with a blank expression.

"...There was also a mug of hot chocolate?" he says this as though it is a question awaiting my approval. "Well, it was more like chocolate milk by the time I woke up..."

I bite my lower lip and avert my gaze, all at once unable to look at him.

"Oh! Did _you_ bring those things in for me?" he asks in bewilderment.

I suppress a shiver and jerk my head once in confirmation, still avoiding looking at him. His arms uncross themselves and fall limply to his sides.

"Sorry, I know I'm kind of a heavy sleeper," he apologizes bashfully, successfully misenterpreting the cause of my distress.

Well, at least I know _one_ comforting fact: Lyle does not remember what he did (I refuse to even _think_ of the "k" word), and as far as I am aware, nobody else knows, either, and it is highly unlikely I will ever willingly tell anyone. Now if only I can make _myself_ forget, that would truly make everything better. Unfortunately, as I am no longer part android, I cannot erase data from my brain so easily. Maybe I can pay someone to hit me over the head with a lead pipe so I can let amnesia do the work for me.

"It's fine," I say quickly, eager to put the conversation behind me. I walk past him back the way I came, aiming to retrieve that cup of coffee. I am slowly becoming a caffeine addict because of this idiot.

Lyle falls into step beside me, a frustratingly contemplative look on his face; I wish he would just let it go. For that matter, I wish he would not walk so close- I am so painfully aware of his presence it is as though there is nothing else around me. Just his image winking cheekily at me from every direction.

"Well, if it's fine," Lyle says, a note of disbelief audible in his voice. "Then why will you still not look at me?"

"Do you _want_ conflict, Lyle? Is that it?" I retort, side-stepping the question.

He gasps in sudden realization and stops, spinning me around by the shoulders and forcing me to face him.

"Did I do anything while I was asleep?" he asks me gravely.

"No," I say a bit too quickly, staring at a spot over his left shoulder. "Why would you say that?"

His face falls. "I _did,_ didn't I?"

I flick his hands away and continue on my way to the kitchen. The pounding in my ears is back.

"I always do weird stuff in my sleep around other people. I bit a friend once, gave him a scar, and then I nearly set fire to Jacques's lab coat once," he rambles, wringing his hands. I do not mention that his actions were more on the affectionate side than these examples. "Come on, what did I do? Whatever it was, I'm sorry, I was asleep, you know...?"

He continues on and on like this while I rub my temples in an attempt to keep a pulsating headache at bay. I have never seen Lyle in such a nervous, stuttering state; I am so used to the confident, charismatic Invisible Kid, always laughing and joking. It is when I am finished with my coffee that I have finally had enough.

"Lyle," I say sternly, turning and looking him straight in the eye despite my cartweeling stomach. "Shut. Up."

He ceases to talk, but continues to stare at me with those wide, apologetic eyes, and I sigh loudly.

"You did not do anything," I lie through my teeth. "I am just in a bad mood today, so _please_ keep out of my way until tomorrow, okay?"

Lyle blinks once, then his face brightens once more, as though a morose cloud blocking the sun shifted aside with the wind. The playful confidence is back in the pools of brown and uplifted corners of his lips.

"You got it! You won't see even one glimpse of me for the entire day, I promise!"

With that, he vanishes from sight, though I can still feel his presence until he leaves the room. I shake my head and place my empty cup into the dishwasher before heading to the lab.

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True to his word, Lyle keeps his distance from me for the rest of the day (although I sometimes see a flash of black and white when I turn a corner before I am alone, which makes me think he is trying exceptionally hard to keep his promise), which allows me to have time to regain control over myself. I go about my business, concentrating on every insignificant task set before me, and at the end of the day, I get so much work done I find myself ahead of my schedule. By the next morning, I am once again tolerant of Lyle's presence, and in fact feel silly for overreacting the way I did.

This does not prevent me from having a bit of fun when he tentatively enters the lab a few minutes after nine. I meet his eyes briefly before continueing to polish my Legion belt. He cautiously edges closer to the table, not taking his eyes off me, as if I am an unpredictable, wild animal. It is almost insulting... but mostly just entertaining.

"So, um," he begins, rocking back and forth on his feet. "Good morning..."

"Morning," I reply simply, straining not to laugh at his nervous expression.

He looks at me as if awaiting for further instructions, and when I do not say anything else, he slowly picks up a tool and begins to take apart his own belt. His every movement is slow and deliberate, like I am a bomb waiting to be set off. It is very difficult to resist rolling my eyes.

"Uh, so..." he begins again, clearing his throat. "Um, is it okay if I... you know..." he trails off, leaving the sentence hanging heavily in the air.

I keep my expression neutral as I put down my belt and calmly raise my eyes to his.

"Yes, Lyle," I answer the unfinished question, finally granting him a small smile. "You can stay. I am fine now."

He exhales dramatically in relief.

"Good! It killed me having to dodge you all day yesterday!" he exclaims, confirming my suspicions about his antics the other day. His tone implies that asking him not to see me for more than two hours is equivalent to being deprived of oxygen. I am not sure whether I am flattered, disturbed, or nauseated at this.

With not much work left to be done, I retire to the living room early, Lyle humming happily beside me. Apparently, he has decided to stick to my side all day to compensate for the lack of attention yesterday. Joy.

I sit in my egg-shaped chair and browse computer scans on a holographic screen lazily while Lyle watches from the side, the most bemused expression on his face. Strangely, I am no longer as bothered as I used to be at his constant presence; the cacophonious rise and fall of his voice as he recalls an encounter with a stressed Cosmic Boy has become such a regular part of my daily routine I am surprised to find I actually draw comfort from it.

Hours later, Lyle has retreated to a chair and is scanning the daily news while I check for any system problems in Computo. More people have also flooded into the spacious room. Phantom Girl is browsing the gossip column of the news projected in front of her; Bouncing Boy and Triplicate Girl are immersed in a video game on the sofa, their fingers flying over the controls while their eyes are trained, unblinking, on the screen as they race; Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl are looking overwhelmed at a table as they bend over a large, black-bound wedding planner. They keep pointing and shaking their heads, looking rather jumpy and ready to scream; Cosmic Boy and Kid Quantum are pointing to a simulated map of the solar system and nodding to each other, most likely planning strategic battle maneuvers.

Suddenly, an alarm screeches through the building, making everyone except me, Cosmic Boy, and Invisible Kid jump. Everyone is instantly at my side as I quickly type into the keyboard without looking. The large assortment of screens before me light up with information and footage. Timber Wolf, Chameleon, Dream Girl, and Shrinking Violet are quick to join the group. I pay no attention to them, as I am staring at the screens, feeling sick to my stomach.

"There has been a break-in at..." I begin, then stop short, the words stuck in my throat. Knowing all eyes are on me, I force myself to continue. "At the Superman Museum. The culprits' ship has been spotted flying northeast, close to where Phobos is located."

"What could anyone want from the Superman Museum?" Lyle asks beside me. My fists clench on the arms of my chair.

"One way to find out," Phantom Girl says.

"Right," Cosmic Boy says, taking command. "Brainiac 5, Invisible Kid, Phantom Girl, Timber Wolf, Shrinking Violet- go to the museum and investigate. Bouncing Boy, Triplicate Girl, Chameleon, Dream Girl, Saturn Girl- prepare the Legion ship for departure. Kid Quantum, Lightning Lad, and I will prepare a battle plan. Let's go, Legionnaires!"

Timber Wolf, Phantom Girl, Shrinking Violet, Invisible Kid, and I fly out the door at the command. Once we are outside, we fly above the city, the wind whipping our hair back and roaring in our ears. Too soon for my liking, we arrive at the Superman Museum, the giant, golden collosus of the iconic hero greeting us at the entrance. I avoid looking at it and fly through the large hole in the ceiling of the building, my heart pulsing rapidly in my chest. We land on the mound of rubble and ceiling that is covering the floor of the museum and look around.

Timber Wolf immediately begins to sniff at the air and walls of the room, his nose twitching and eyes narrowed. Shrinking Violet reduces in size and crawls through gaps in the debris, doubling the efficientness of the search. I move from under the hole and into the shade, where Superman's blue, red, and yellow uniform lies tattered and ruined in its broken case, which is on its side on the floor; the shards of broken glass reflect my confused and tormented eyes back at me.

I cannot explain the sudden surge of emotion that has been encompassing me ever since I discovered the museum had been broken into. I do not know exactly what that emotion is, but it is not pleasant, and is more close to pain than anything else. It grips my chest and throat tightly, suffocating me, making my heart pound painfully against my ribcage like a mallet. For a moment I feel like I have been frozen in place, and am unable to move as I stare down at the sad remains of the red S, enclosed by an upside down, yellow pentagon. Then, I flex my fingers experimentally and wet my lips, and take several slow, rhythmic breaths.

I turn my back to the costume and spot Lyle, who is talking to an old, balding man in a custodial uniform. I drift closer to listen, purposefully focusing on the task at hand.

"And are you sure nothing was taken?" Invisible Kid asks the janitor, and to the untrained ear he sounds business-like and unconcerned, but I detect the subtle puzzled and troubled tones beneath the surface.

"Yes," the man replies tightly, holding his head high and looking as though Lyle has insulted him. "Absolutely nothing was stolen. They just came in, ransacked the place, and left. Goddamned hooligans..."

Lyle sees me and seems to notice my grave appearance, for he sends me a concerned look before turning back to the janitor.

"Thank you for your cooperance," he says in a friendly manner, and the janitor purses his lips importantly in response.

Lyle and I move back to the center of the room, where sunlight floods over the mound of plaster and concrete. Phantom Girl phases through a wall and lands next to Timber Wolf, and Shrinking Violet grows back to her original size to join them. Lyle seems like he is bursting to interrogate me, but one dark look from me silences him (though I am willing to bet it won't last long).

"Did I hear that right?" Brin asks in his growl of a voice. "Nothing was taken from the museum?"

Invisible Kid and I nod in grim confirmation, and everyone exchanges uneasy looks. Phantom Girl is the first to ask the question that is on everyone's mind.

"Well then, what was the point of breaking in if not to take anything?"

"Maybe they didn't find what they were looking for?" Shrinking Violet suggests, glancing from face to face.

"Or maybe," I say, having already calculated every possibility in my head. "They did not come to steal, but to send a message."

"What would they want to say by destroying the Superman Museum?" Lyle inquires, and all eyes shift to me questioningly.

"Isn't that obvious?" Even as I speak, a feeling of cold dread washes over me like ice water. "It's a warning."

"The Legion was created based on Superman's morals and achievements," Shrinking Violet pipes up. "If they destroy the museum, it's like they're saying the Legion's next... right?"

I nod numbly. "That, or it's a calling card. They might want to confront Superman, and destroying his museum is the first in line for many more targets unless we get him here."

"Okay, time out," Phantom Girl says firmly, holding both hands up palm-out. "First of all, who is 'they'? Who are we dealing with here? The Fatal Five? Drax? The Legion of Super Villains? If this is some hoax played by that magic-finger-guy, we don't have to call Superman."

Timber Wolf is shaking his head before she finishes.

"The scent is not familiar," he says, his yellow, beastly eyes hard and contemplative. "This is someone we've never dealt with before."

"Are they powerful?" Invisible Kid asks, casting a thoughtful look at the cloudless sky.

"Don't know," comes the short reply.

"So... _should_ we call him?" Shrinking Violet asks apprehensively.

"Well, let's not get carried away here," Phantom Girl intervenes, her hands poised on her waist. "We don't know who this person- or people- are. Maybe it's best to just wait it out, see what we're up against."

"This is not our decision to make," I say in a calm voice. "It is Cosmic Boy's- he is the leader."

When I do not receive any negative reactions, I bring my ring to my mouth and contact Cosmic Boy. While the others gather silently around me, I brief him on what we have discovered.

"Any luck finding our mysterious friend?" I ask when I finish.

"None," Rokk sighs. "Their trail's gone completely cold."

"Yeah," Lightning Lad cuts in. "We've been up here flying in circles. We might as well be looking for... what was that expression Clark used? 'A pin in a barrel of wheat'?"

"'Needle in a haystack'," I correct, the painful tightness back at the mention of Clark Kent.

"Yeah, well, whatever you call it, we lost them," Garth says bitterly.

As conflicted as I am with the idea, I know it has to be mentioned.

"Should we call Superman?"

There is a pause as Cosmic Boy thinks this through; Invisible Kid, Shrinking Violet, Timber Wolf, and Phantom Girl shift on their feet, awaiting their orders. Lyle's arm brushes against my shoulder, and the warmth slightly calms my nerves.

"Well, let's not call him yet," he finally concludes, sounding very tired. "With Garth and Imra's wedding coming up, there's really no reason to- he'll be there anyway."

This news momentarily shocks me, but then I realize it makes complete sense; there has never been a Legion wedding before, and so it is to be quite the grand occasion. It is only natural that every Legionnaire, even the honorary ones, are to be invited, and Superman, himself being the inspiration for the Legion, must surely be invited as well. A smile works its way to my lips.

"If nothing big happens before then, we'll just tell him about it when he's here," Cosmic Boy continues, a note of finality in his voice. "Let's head home, Legionnaires."

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Aahh, sorry if there are mistakes! I didn't check it after I typed it out cuz I was sooo tiiiireeeddd. __ Is anyone else psyched to see Gamer?? I'm SO pumped for that movie! It doesn't help that my friend is making a Legion/Gamer crossover trailer, either.

Guess who's gonna be in the next chaaaapteeeerr? =D Haha FINALLY yeah?

Review please! I LOVE ZEM REVIEWS!


	5. The Wedding

Hello everyone! Thank you so much for your patience with my slow updates, I know I suck haha. Junior year is the hardest yet (I have no idea why I decided to take three AP classes, as I now have no social life to speak of), so I rarely even have time to be on the computer, let alone write a chapter. -__- I bet you're all getting sick of my excuses, huh? lol. But I actually have a legit reason this time! So there! And... this chapter is super short... ;_; I'm losing my touch haha.

**Note**: In the comics, Bouncing Boy and Triplicate Girl are actually the first to get married, but this is Momo's Awesome Alternate World, and in Momo's Awesome Alternate World, Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl get married first. =D The Tamaran comment is referencing Teen Titans- Tamaran is Starfire's home planet. =) Yay inter-DC references! I was very tempted to say "Lightning Lass" instead of "Ayla," but since I never mentioned her having powers earlier in the story and she has none in the show, I left her as is.

This chapter goes out to _Lady Talla-doe_, who took the time to comment on every single chapter before moving on to the next one, even though four were out already! That is friggin awesome! =3

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Legion of Superheroes, I wouldn't be writing this fanfiction. And what do you know, I'm typing away!

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It is an unfortunate human trait that when one is anxious about the arrival of a date, time seems to significantly speed up, as if watching the turmoil of a person's life is entertaining to whoever, or _what_ever, is watching from up there. This never affected me as a robot, as I not only never had reason to be anxious, but also found such a theory illogical and highly improbable. Now, the idea that time moves slowly or quickly based on a person's anticipation of what is to come, a notion that was once silly to me, has profound effect on my life.

I do not know why I am so wary of the day of the wedding. I expected myself to be exuberant to see Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl say their vows, to be witness to the start of their new lives together... and I still am; but the feeling of cautious curiosity, a new emotion to add to my growing list of human experience, is the most prominent within me at the moment. And it does not take too much inner scrutiny to identify the cause of my confusing and complex feelings.

Superman. It is always Superman.

"Come in," I call when a knock comes to the door of my room.

Lyle struts in, wearing a sleek, well-fitted tux and a self-assured grin. I roll my eyes and turn back to the full-length mirror before me, adjusting my magenta-colored tie and trying to deny that Lyle looks very... well put-together, to say the least. His outfit really does not differ much from his uniform color wise- he still looks like an over-zealous penguin- but there _is _a certain magnitude to him in formal attire. Maybe it's the lack of a headband obscuring his forehead.

"Looking good, Brainy," he compliments, stopping behind me and catching my eye in the mirror's reflection. "But where did you learn to tie a tie, Tamaran?"

Despite the oddity of that sentence in both structure _and_ humor, I find myself flustered at the hit at the messy, uneven tie at my neck.

"I never had the need to wear a suit before," I explain in a subdued tone, shuffling while Lyle silently turns me to the side and readjusts my tie. I blush at the sudden close proximity, and my thoughts automatically return to the kiss he unconsciously gave me a few weeks earlier. A strange, guilty feeling takes form in the pit of my stomach, as if I am wronging Lyle somehow by letting him be so close to me.

"There's a first time for everything," Lyle chimes. "That's a nice color for you, by the way."

My blush worsens and I take a hurried half-step back, turning jerkily to the mirror and smoothing my hair into place just so my hands have something to do. The guilt bubble swells in my stomach, an unexplained, unwanted intrusion.

"My eyes used to be this color," I say, keeping my expression neutral as I look at my my reflection once more. "Before I turned human."

Lyle observes me thoughtfully for a moment, thinking there is meaning to my words when, truthfully, I was just saying something for the sake of saving myself from a potentially awkward moment.

"Do you miss being part robot?" he asks, effectively catching me off guard. Lyle is always full of surprises.

My mouth opens to automatically form the word "no," but the word dies in my throat. Something about Invisible Kid makes me become more and more self-aware every day, and I realize the truth as the unexpected words stumble out.

"...Sometimes," I say, my own thoughts foreign to me as I take another perusing look inward. The words keep flowing out without my control. "I've spent my entire life part robot. Sometimes I still reach out for a tool that is too far away to get without moving and expect my arm to lengthen out; or I look at a new piece of technology and am surprised when my eyes don't automatically scan its components.

"It still feels strange not being able to just lock away certain thoughts I wish I did not have. I used to be able to shut off all unnecessary thoughts to focus on a task, and now it requires significant effort not to just drift off. My thoughts were all so organized before, filed and ready at a moment's notice to be accessed. And they were all unattached, just facts and concepts I kept separate from myself. In my first few weeks of being human, that's what nearly overwhelmed me- all of my thoughts conflicted with my emotions, and I began to really _think _about facts instead of just knowing them. Suddenly, I had entirely different perceptions of things I had filed away in my brain. My opinions and point of view changed the meanings of events and technology. Instead of just asking, 'How?' I now find myself asking, 'Why?'"

I stare at myself in the reflection, past the intelligent, green eyes; past the soft, fully-human flesh; the layers seem to strip away before my eyes, until I am staring at my essence. I barely notice Lyle is there anymore, as all of my attention is focused inward. I try to figure out why all these strange things I am saying sound so right despite them going against everything I had previously thought.

"I used to think it was more difficult for me as a robot," I continue quietly, unconsciously reaching one hand up and touching the green skin on my cheek. "I thought everything would be less complicated if I was _organic. _But now, I am certain humans have it worse. I marvel at how easy they make it seem to live their lives in a pool of emotions and ideals. It is often maddening.

"Still... I would not go back to the way I was, if I had the choice. In this form, I am free from the past that used to haunt me." Now, I move my hand from my cheek to brush the three pale circles on my forehead beneath my bangs. "I am no longer under any obligation to live a certain way, and with that freedom comes a sense of infinite possibility. I feel... _lighter. _Happier."

My hand drops back to my side, and I stare a moment longer at my reflection before I come flying out of my inner puzzlements and back to the world around me. My eyes shift from the mirror to Lyle, who has been uncharacteristically silent the entire time. I am surprised at my lengthy response, and, in retrospect, somewhat embarrassed for it.

"...I think that was the longest I've ever heard you speak," Lyle says, earning a half-hearted glare.

He stares intently at me for a moment, making me feel rather uncomfortable, like a specimen on display. Then, suddenly, he reaches up a hand and grazes his fingers against the circles on my forehead, ignoring my flinch at the unexplained touch.

"I guess we _do _have it pretty hard," he says in a contemplative tone. "But I think that's what makes life exciting. Without all this curiosity and emotion, we would never get anywhere; no one would ever paint, or compose music, or come up with new ideas... Life would be pretty dull."

I smile ruthfully. "Well, my life certainly has been more... _interesting _lately."

Lyle smiles brightly, and there it is again- that distraught, regretful feeling whispering in my veins that makes me pull away from him and look shamefully to the side.

"We should get going," I say, turning and walking stiffly to the door.

"Um, yeah," Lyle replies, sounding disappointed.

The walk to the open square outside Legion Headquarters is slightly awkward as I adamantly resist the urge to glance sideways at Lyle. In my peripheral vision, I can see him looking curiously at me every now and then; twice, he opens his mouth in preparation to say something, then closes it again and looks away. I know he is wondering why I am acting so strangely, but I refuse to be the first to initiate the conversation... mainly because I do not know the cause of my oscillating emotions myself.

That seems to be happening a lot lately, and I cannot say I enjoy it.

The large doors to the entrance of the building are open, inviting the warm, amiable breeze inside. Long, white streamers and translucent curtains hang from the ceiling and brush the floor at the sides of the entrance, where scores of generous bouquets of white lilies, fresh, yellow tulips, and creamy, pink and white roses sit in elegant vases. The vases stand in perfect symmetry opposite each other, lining the boundaries of the festivities from the top of the stairs, where the podium is, down past the white chairs where guests sit chatting together, to the end of the long, white carpet strewn with pink rose petals. An arch decorated with more flowers bends charmingly over the edge of the carpet, where a man with Saturn Girl's blonde hair and wise eyes stands talking to a woman with familiar plump, gently curving lips and high cheekbones.

It seems that everyone is here, from the honorary Legionnaire to important political figures- I spy Phantom Girl's mother, the president of United Planets, conversing with her daughter in corner. Ayla Ranzz embraces and congratulates her brother on the isle. It is very strange seeing everyone outside their usual uniforms, in light pink bridesmaid dresses and black groomsmen tuxedos. Their serious, important demeanors are shed along with their costumes, and they seem to be average citizens. There is an uplifting feeling in the air that infects every person in the area. It is seen in the way no one can seem to keep a smile off their face or a flush from their cheeks. The contagious feeling swirls around and inside me until I feel light on my feet and a smile tugs at the corner of my lips.

"It's great, isn't it?" Lyle remarks beside me, laughing benignly and turning his face upward to soak in the pleasant sunshine.

"Brainy! _There_ you are!"

Lightning Lad rushes toward me, looking happier than I have ever seen him despite the nervousness shown in the crease between his eyebrows.

"Hello, Garth," I greet. "Everything looks beautiful."

"Doesn't it?" He swells with pride, beaming. "Hey, I have a favor to ask. Would you be the ring bearer?"

I blink back my surprise, but one look at the hopefulness in his blue eyes and I find myself smiling in acceptance at the offer.

"Of course," I reply, and Garth sweeps me into a hug that leaves me gasping for breath.

"Thanks Brainy, I mean, you gave me the courage to ask Imra in the first place, so this really means a lot to me!" he says breathlessly.

With that, he takes my hand and deposits two rings into my palm, one of which is Imra's pink chrystal one and the other a simple, gold band. Upon closer inspection, I discover the inside is engraved with the words, "_With love forever, Imra_" in elegant, italic text.

"Shouldn't he have waited until the wedding started to give you those?" Lyle inquires skeptically. "What if you lose them?"

"I never lose _anything_," I retort, pretending to be offended as I place the rings in the inside pocket of my jacket.

"Uh-_huh_," he says sardonically, barely able to keep the teasing smile off his face.

I am about to reply when a horribly familiar voice calls my name.

"Brainy! It's been a while!"

I turn and my heart stops in my throat. Clark Kent, dressed in an appropriate tux and tie, beams down at me, his kind, blue eyes crinkling under the signature, black curl on his forehead.

"Superman..." I mumble, the throbbing of my heart making my chest ache painfully.

If this had been two years ago, I would have been grinning right back at him enthusiastically, excited to be in the presence of one of the greatest heroes of all time. I would have ranted on my latest projects and missions, try to impress him, win his favor.

But things have changed since then. Correction: _I_ have changed since then. I no longer look at Superman with eager, fanatic eyes, as I did before; I am not a dog aiming to please anymore. My admiration of him still exists, but in a different, much more complex and heartache-inducing way.

I know I have no chance with him, for a variety of reasons. He belongs in the past, so being together with him would be the epitome of a "long-distance relationship," and really could never work. Also, I know he is meant to be with Lois Lane. If somehow, beyond all logic, he chooses _me_ over _her_, I would be keeping him from her. How would that affect the timeline? I could potentially change the course of history, for the worse. And above those reasons, I know in my gut there is no way he could ever truly, to the fullest extent, reciprocate my feelings.

"Woah, you're Superman!" Lyle exclaims, extending his hand toward Superman. "I'm Invisible Kid, it's great to meet you!"

Superman shakes his hand and smiles cordially, and there it is again. Only this time, as I watch Lyle and Clark smiling and talking to one another, I realize why the guilty feeling gnaws at my insides. Despite the fact that it was _Lyle_ who kissed _me_, and not the other way around, my having feelings for Superman stabs at my consciousness, as if I am somehow being unfaithful.

The twisted logic of emotions irritates me to no end.

Bouncing Boy runs toward us, his formal wear too restricting to allow him to expand his form and just bounce to us, which causes us to have to wait several seconds while he catches his breath, clutching his side comically.

"You guys... have to... get to your places... now," he gasps. "Wedding's... about... to begin!"

We turn our attention to the seating area, where there is a generally confused shuffling as people try to find their companions and seats. Lyle waves before jogging to his seat in the front row; Superman is a groomsman, so he flies serenely to the arch, where Dream Girl, Phantom Girl, Triplicate Girl, Ayla, Timber Wolf, and Cosmic Boy are waiting in matching dresses and tuxedos. Bouncing Boy heaves and runs laboriously after him, cursing himself under his breath for the extra slice of pizza he ate the night before. I make my way to the side or the podium, at the top of the stairs.

R.J. Brande stands at the podium, a merry twinkle in his eye, and Lightning Lad stands before him, fidgeting in place from a combination of nerves and excitement.

One by one, the pairs walk down the isle to graceful music- first Phantom Girl and Timber Wolf, then Dream Girl and Superman, then Ayla and Bouncing Boy. Cosmic Boy and Triplicate Girl, the best man and maid of honor, are the last. They take their places on the stairs, the girls on the left, the boys on the right, and fold their hands in front of them.

As if on cue, everyone turns deathly silent. From somewhere within the building, the familiar notes of _The Wedding March _start up, and all heads turn simultaneously towards the arch, breaths held in anticipation.

A beautiful Saturn Girl in all white emerges from the side, carrying a bouquet of white lilies. The bodice of her sleeveless dress is form-fitting and trimmed with lace, and where it ends at the waist, layers of lace float away from her body and trail behind her as she walks. Her hands are covered with lace gloves that reach half-way up her arms in intricately detailed designs. With her head held high and an uncontained smile on her face, she is positively glowing.

Her father offers his arm to her, and they walk slowly down the isle to the music. Eyes filled with awe follow her every step as she makes her way to Lightning Lad.

When she makes it to Lightning Lad, she takes his hand and takes her place beside him. Their eyes never left each other's since the moment Saturn Girl stepped under the arch.

R.J. Brande clears his throat and begins, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today for the wedding of Garth Ranzz and Imra Ardeen..."

The atmosphere is indescribable as Brande's voice travels across the square, deep and grandfatherly, and the perfume of the flowers wafts dreamily in the slight breeze. The rest of the world and its troubles are forgotten, and, indeed, it seems impossible for there to be any real problems at all; how could there be, when such pure love and happiness exist? Hate and sorrow are emotions belonging to a different world.

When the rings are asked for, I stride forward diligently and hand the rings to Lightning Lad and Saturn Girl, who smile brightly at me.

After their vows are said, R.J. Brande pronounces them "Mr. and Mrs. Ranzz," and the couple joins together in a kiss, encouraged by the cheers and whoops of the guests. Petals rain down on them as they run, hand-in-hand, back down the isle, laughing in merriment.

* * *

Reviews are welcomed with glomps and happy faces! =D And hey, if anyone wants to draw me fanart... I won't object... *not-so-subtle-nudge*


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